As I sit there on my bed, silent and hiding my wrist beneath the sheets, it doesn't take long until Lia's unanswered questions give place to shouts. I let her scold me. Right now her words are meaningless noise to me.
Flashbacks flood my mind. I see the Sweet-T, the eccentric fairy guy, shimmer, and light. Then, I remember myself biking through warm light. Flying, actually.
The images play again and again, sometimes causing me to shake my head. That only confuses Lia even more, then her words snap me out of my trance:
" You know what Jason? I thought you were making an effort. You stayed home every night. But for you to go and ruin your own bike like this. . . You know how much you should value this. For Antony's memory at least. Take some more time to think about your actions. You're grounded for another week."
Empty rambling about me being the worst kid in Gordon field. Check. I'm grounded again. Check. Door slammed behind her back. Been there, done that. She didn't need to bring Dad into this though.
I sigh as soon as I can't hear her steps along the hall anymore, then rush to my door and lock it. I realize I'm wearing the same clothes I wore last night. My black jacket covering a yellow shirt and blue jeans. This is not actually happening, right?
Raising my hand, I scan the bracelet around my wrist though. I need to hide it from Lia at all cost. Because judging by how the ruby and the welded gold seemed real, she could have snatched it away and sell it even faster than she can scold me.
The thought that the guy from yesterday being my fairy Godmother hits me again and for the first time I take the time to consider the implications of it. He teleported me and made Lia forget I was out last night.
Last night he mentioned the bracelet gave him access to my location and thoughts. My eyes widen at the realization and I spring to my window to roll the shutter down. He could be spying on me at any moment.
I turn the bracelet around my wrist to find a clasp. Two turns and nothing. I can feel a fine layer of sweat forming on my forehead. I place my pinkie between metal and skin, making my finger a hook that forces the bracelet upward. I squirm, but the effort doesn't make the gap large enough for my hand to slide out.
I hurts like hell and I cause red marks to appear both on my finger and on my wrist, but the damn bracelet remains there.
I turn to the painful sight of my broken bike above my drawer. There goes Dad's gift that I used to value the most. I need to do something about it. I grab the bent wheel resting against the wall, then a brilliant idea hits me. And it motivates me to grab both wheels and the pink, glittered frame and go down the stairs to take them to garage.
I don't need to enlarge the bracelet when I could cut through the damn thing. As soon as I deposit the pieces of the bike in a dusty, dark corner of the garage, I storm to the toolbox find pliers.
I can't help smiling when my fingers brush one, among nails, screws and screwdrivers. I place the pliers between two fingers, grabbing the levers until the jaw clips tightly around the golden metal. A glint sweeps over its surface just before I start pressing.
I try to bend the bracelet by moving the pliers in a arc finishing at the back of my hand. But as soon as I begin the movement, I feel a tingle on my fingers. It builds up. And before I'm able to release the pliers, the tingles is a full, dazzling electric current running through me, shaking me to the core.
I scream from the pain, letting go of the pliers that thuds on the ground. When I'm able to see clearly again, I spot Soni at the entry of the garage. She's on her scooter, looking at me, confused.
"You okay, Jay ?" she asks.
I gulp. "Yeah. I'm fine. Don't worry."
"Why is Mom mad at you?"
I don't know. I really don't. "She's not. I'll come to your room later to help you dress Julie, okay?" the words come out. Then I feel guilty for not playing with her and her dolls in a long time.
Her expression brightens up. "Okay. I'll make tea for you," she says, then scooters away.
"You'll end up hurting yourself, Jay?" I hear a voice from behind me. It takes me a few seconds to recognize it, causing me to spring into a standing position.
"Take it off," I say, outstretching my arm towards Cindy.
"I can't." He looks at me with a pained expression, visible even under the exaggerated forms his make-up gives to his eyes and mouth. "You have signed the contract, now it's my turn to help you find love. Only then I can use the key," he snaps his fingers and a golden key materializes in his hands, "only then I can use it to open the bracelet. It what gives me access to your location and feelings, dear."
I turn away and storm outside the garage.
What have I agreed to? I don't need some weirdo to help me find love. Besides, Jord and I were already progressing pretty well. If he hadn't pulled a dick move on me and not shown up to the Sweet-T, we probably would already have something going on by now.
I don't need this fairy guy to take over. I need to talk to Mara. She'll know how to find a solution to this.
I enter the house and mount the stairs, then traverse the hall up to my room, aiming for my phone. When I have it in hand, I call Mara.
She picks up after the ring echoes for the second time. "Jay, calling on Sunday morning? Struggling with your English homework? Or is it about a certain boy who invited you to the Sweet last night," she asks, reminding me of my failed date and my untouched homework for tomorrow.
I make a mental note to do something about it later today.
"Uhm. No," I say, "how do I even say this." I run a hand across my forehead. "I have this bracelet thing stuck on my wrist. I can't get it off for some reason. It's really annoying."
She chuckles from the other side of the wire. "Poor you. Have you tried oiling up your wrist?"
I haven't thought about that. "No. But I'm pretty sure it won't work."
She makes a dubious sound and I can imagine her wearing a frown on her face.
"I've just tried to use pliers to cut through it. It just won't work. I mean," I hesitate, "I'm gonna sound crazy but it's magical bracelet."
She's snickering now. Great.
"What's this about, Jay? I mean did something happen. Because you do sound upset."
"Mara," I press my eyes shut, "I'm not lying. Come over, you'll see it."
"Oh. That wasn't planned at all. Why don't you come over? I to need help mom the pastries she is baking for some charity event. You can give me a hand."
"I can't." I sigh. Maria's house was a good half an hour away on foot. "My bike is broken. And I'm still grounded. Please, come over. This bracelet. . .plus, Jord. I mean, yesterday didn't go exactly as planned."
"Oh. I'm sorry," she says. "I'll call you later if I'm able to finish on time. Talk to you then?"
My phone rings again three hours later, and Mara comes by late in the afternoon. I knew she wouldn't let me down. She texts me when she's five minutes from home and I wait for her downstairs impatiently. When I hear knocks on the door, I practically sprint to get it, earning me Lia's surprised stare from across the room.
I get the door, and smile at the sight of the apple pie she has in her hands.
"You're so efficient." I grin.
"That's how you visit a friend who's grounded." She winks at me.
"Mara's showed up, mom," I call from the door spot. Mom turns to me from the couch with a frown that fades into a smile as I pull the door open, revealing Mara to her.
She straightens her hair and stands to walk up to the door spot where I stand.
"Mrs. Wang. It's been such a long time," Mara says, stepping forward to plant a kiss on Lia's cheek. "Have just finished a delivery at Alice's Bakery. I kept one for you," she says, handing Lia the pie. "I wish I could come up with a better way to ask for your forgiveness for not visiting in a long time."
"You're always so sweet. You didn't need to. How's everything, sweetie?" Lia hands me the pie. "Would you please take it to the fridge, Jason?"
I do as she asks, then wait beside the kitchen table, a glass of water in hand, watching my mom ask a million questions to Mara. Her grades — to compare them to mine later — Her parents and their divorce — so like her. Mara's polite enough to answer to all her questions. She's basically a super star to Lia.
When she's done her gossip search, Mara walks up to me with a smile that seems to be about to crack. My grin is hidden behind a glass of icy water as I sip from it. I put it aside and lead her to my room upstairs.
"Super Mara's here to help. What's the problem?" she says as soon as I shut the door of my room behind us.
Keeping my voice low, I say, "This bracelet thing on my wrist." I raise my arm and place my hand above the my desk, exposing the golden gleam of the thing. "And yes, I've tried oiling my hand too. Nothing works it's just stuck. This is crazy, but I met this weird guy last night. He claims he'll help me with Jord. He is a fairy and he gave me this."
Mara looks at me puzzled, her frown working plies on her forehead. "What are you on about?" she asks, standing. Her head tilts slightly to the side. "Are you okay, Jay?"
"What do you mean?"
"Is this like a prank or something?" she laughs in disbelief. "Like, what bracelet are talking about?"
I avert my gaze from Mara, taking in the sight of the bracelet on my wrist for a few seconds. Okay. I see what's going on. She can't see it. Lia can't see it, too. That's why she hasn't bothered me about it.
I let out a defeated laugh, folding my arms against my chest. "Sorry," I say, "yeah, stupid prank. I — I, just wanted you to come over, I mean...Jord stood me up last night."
"What's wrong with you?" She pouts, pulling me into an embrace. "But you know you don't have to lie to make me come comfort you. I didn't say much about Jord earlier because I thought you were intentionally not talking about him. I mean that was a dick move."
I breathe out loudly. "Yeah." I get away from her embrace, falling buttocks first, then slumping on my bed.
"So this is just an attempt not to address the real problem," she says, crouching above the cushioned surface of my bed. "You're talking to that asshole."
"Can't we just leave it at what it is. I just don't wanna cause any problem," I argue.
"Are you serious? That's really disrespectful. You can't just let that go like that. You're going to talk to him, or I will."
It would be worse if she did it. Of course, she's right about Jord's behavior not being the best. But I don't want any trouble with Jord. "I'll do it myself. Fine. I'll just text him tonight."
She chuckles. Looking upwards in disbelief, her arms folded against her chest. "You can't just text him. What if he doesn't answer? Jord goes to the poetry club every Thursdays after school. We're going to talk to him as before his little session starts."
"Can I even have a say on that?" I question.
"No. I'm sorry, Jay. But no one has the right to disrespect you this way."
We're doing this this Thursday. I swallow hard. Confronting Jord this Thursday after class.